Plans are underway to redevelop the some 2,000 acres of North Rome, where city officials say there are concentrated areas of blight and numerous vacant properties. At the Rome City Commission’s Tuesday caucus, Development Director Melissa Jones revealed a breakdown of the area centered on North Broad St., which is now divvied into eight neighborhoods. Though any concrete plans for North Rome are a long ways away, Jones says the city is taking its first steps towards a major renovation.

“Our next step is to study the area,” Jones says. “We’re going to look at our demographics and then from there we’re going to come up with some initiatives that we can do fairly simple and easy utilizing city staff. So, looking at our litter index, our neighborhood focus, and a strong code enforcement buy-in.”

According to Jones, this redevelopment will differ from its counterpart in South Rome, mostly because of the industry already present in the neighborhood. Also, North Rome does not have the large tracts of land available to it that South did; vacant properties are scattered throughout it.